Tag: cosmetology

Keep Your Hair, Skin, and Nails Warm and Healthy This Winter With These Helpful Tips:

Winter is definitely here, and along with it, icy winds, freezing snows and thermostats set to high. The extreme temperature fluctuations most of us face daily as we navigate our way from home to school to office and home again are hard on our hair and skin. It can make it challenging to look our best, but with the holidays (and all the photo ops that come with them) right around the corner, we obviously want to appear fabulous, not frizzy and frazzled. And we want to do it without spending a bundle.

Fortunately, it’s possible to look and feel beautiful all season long without breaking your budget. We’ve put together a few expert tips to show you how.

A Strong Winter Hair Game

That warm blast of air coming from your home or office heating vent might feel good after your freezing commute, but it’s also drying out your hair and making it more prone to split ends and breakage. Experts suggest combating this seasonal increase in dryness in a number of ways:

* Shampoo less frequently to avoid stripping away healthy natural oils. With the right tools, including dry shampoo and cute hair accessories, you may be able to stretch your time between washes by several days. Ask a Creative Images Institute hairstylist to help you develop a strategy.

* Once a week, hydrate your hair overnight with a moisturizing oil or serum.

* Never skip conditioner after shampooing and use a leave-in product to extend hydration and guard against static. While you’re at it, line your course-fabric winter hats with silk or satin fabric to reduce split ends and breakage. You can often find inexpensive vintage silk scarves at thrift stores.

* Keep up with those trims. You might be tempted to just let your hair grow all winter long, but having it trimmed regularly to remove dry, brittle ends will help reduce breakage and keep your style looking beautiful and healthy. Schedule an appointment with a Creative Images Institute hairstylist and you’ll save a bundle off of regular salon prices.

Radiant Winter-Proof Skin

Remember those temperature extremes and dry air we mentioned earlier? Well, they also tend to wreak havoc on skin if you don’t guard against them. From chapped lips and ragged cuticles to overall dullness, experts suggest protecting and perfecting cold-weather skin in a number of ways:

* Cracked, dry lips are a common winter ailment. Keep them baby soft with regular exfoliation. It’s as easy as massaging a generous coat of honey or balm into your lips with a super-soft toothbrush, then wiping away the excess and flakes with a tissue.

It may be the season of giving but a lot of us are still struggling with trying to find ways to give outside of just leaving gifts under the tree. Check out this blog for some easy but meaningful ways to give back to loved ones and to your neighbors. Here are six good deeds you can do this holiday season.

The holidays are a natural time to practice kindness and generosity. After all, an American essayist, Hamilton Wright Mabiea once said, “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” At Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology, we’re planning to spend the next 52 weeks showering our staff, cosmetology students and clients with appreciation as well as extending a helping hand to our neighbors, family and friends. If you want to join in, we’ve put together a list of simple good deeds to get you started.

1. Donate a Toy to Toys for Tots
Founded back in 1947, the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots charity has since distributed 548 million toys to 251 million children. Local Toys for Tots campaigns are conducted annually in over 800 communities through the 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. This holiday season, Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology is collecting toys for the program. Bring a new, unwrapped toy to one of our beauty school campuses and we’ll even give you 10 percent off a beauty service.

2. Save Your Pop Tabs for Ronald McDonald House Charities
Since 1974, Ronald McDonald House Charities has helped millions of families with sick children find comfort and support during challenging times by providing meals and housing near treatment hospitals. This year, Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology began collecting pop tabs (from cans) for the charity—and you can help. Gather pop tabs from your family, friends and neighbors and drop them off at one of our beauty school campuses.

3. Give Your Old Mascara Wands to Wands for Wildlife
Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology is also a drop off point for used mascara wands. Instead of tossing them in the trash when you do your monthly makeup bag clean out, bring them to one of our beauty school campuses. We’ll pass them on to Wands for Wildlife, a program run by the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. They’ll use the wands to remove fly eggs and larva from the fur of animals in their care. Just think, your old mascara wand could have a second life combing a bunny, possum or baby duck!

4. Buy Your Holiday Gifts Through AmazonSmile
If you’re like millions of other shoppers, you’re probably going to order at least one gift through Amazon this year. But did you know you can give to charity in the process? Doing so is easy. Just log into your Amazon account through AmazonSmile and choose a charitable organization. Amazon will then donate 0.5 percent of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to that charity. This isn’t just a holiday thing either. You can help out your favorite charity with every purchase all year long.

5. Adopt a Military Family Through Soldiers’ Angels
Founded in 2003, Soldiers’ Angels has a 98 percent efficiency rating with most of every donation going towards program services. In 2017 alone, the charity provided over $17 million in aid to over 360,000 service members, veterans, wounded heroes and military families. During the holidays, they run an adopt-a-family program for military and veteran families who might not otherwise be able to afford to celebrate. There are currently more than 300 families waiting for adoption. Visit their website to learn more.

6. Send Holiday Cards to Lonely Seniors
Not every elderly person has children and grandchildren to care for them. Some are widows and widowers as well, and often find themselves spending the holidays alone. Even living in a senior community may not be enough to alleviate their loneliness. According to Love for the Elderly, 90 percent of seniors living in nursing facilities report feeling isolated and depressed. But you can help! Join Love for the Elderly’s Letters of Love campaign and the charity will distribute the letters and cards you write to seniors in need of a little holiday cheer.

Record number of annual Joe Francis Haircare Scholarship awards are announced.

Minneapolis, MN – November 15, 2018 – This year, 34 students from across the United States received
a $1,200 from the Joe Francis Haircare Scholarship Foundation. The scholarships are awarded directly toward tuition costs for cosmetology education. Over the past 21 years the Foundation has awarded 384 scholarships and given close to a half million dollars in scholarships. Congratulations to the 2018 recipients and to their schools! This year’s scholarship recipients are:

Each scholarship recipient demonstrated a strong commitment to complete his or her
barber/cosmetology education, as well as financial need. The Joe Francis Haircare Scholarship Foundation memorializes the life and achievements of Joe Francis, founder of The Barbers Corporation and the franchise systems: Cost Cutters, City Looks Salons, and We Care Hair, now Regis Corporation subsidiaries. Joe Francis’ story is literally one of rags to riches, beginning his first job as a shoeshine boy for a local barber school. His labors eventually led him to enroll as a barber student where his entrepreneurial spirit flourished and his lifelong career in the industry took off. He built state of the art hair salons and began franchising first as The Barbers Hairstyling for Men and Women, Inc. He took his company public and established The Barbers Corporation. The barbers grew to 1,200 franchise hair salons in the United States and Europe. Joe began with a one-chair barbershop, a self-made man who never forgot his early struggles and continuously looked for ways to help others find opportunities in the hair industry.

Joe Francis was inducted posthumously into the National Barbers Hall of Fame. “The Scholarship Foundation was Joe’s dream. We have awarded 384 talented hairstylists and barbers with scholarships and we look forward to continuing our support of careers in the industry,” explained Florence Francis, widow of Joe Francis, Chairwoman, and Co-Founder of the Foundation. Joe’s daughter, and President of the Foundation, Barbara Francis, announced, “My Father worked tirelessly to strengthen the industry and elevate the hairstyling profession. He believed it offered a path to self-fulfillment and reward. He was determined to help deserving individuals launch their career. He wanted to give back to an industry that gave him so much.”

Applications for future scholarships are accepted from January through June 1st of each year, with
award notifications made each September. For more information, visit the Foundation’s web site:
www.joefrancis.com or email: contact@joefrancis.com

Do you ever get nervous for your interviews? Good! Being nervous means you care about how you’ll do which is first step when it comes to starting something new. In this article, you will learn not only how to work through those nerves but also how to nail your next interview!

A job interview is much like a first date. While it’s nerve-wracking and unlikely to go exactly as planned, it’s also your only chance to make a good impression. Fortunately, your education at Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology has provided you with the technical skills necessary to succeed in a hairstylist, esthetician or nail technician job. Now you just need to present your best professional self to land that position. Take note of these do’s and don’ts and you’ll have a new cosmetology job before you know it.

1. Do learn everything you can about the salon or spa before your interview. Whether you look the company up online through Google, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, check it out in person, or call the front desk for information, thorough research into the salon or spa you’re considering can help you decide if it’s really a place you want to work. You can also use what you learn during the research process to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of the company.

2. Do dress appropriately. While the beauty industry is a creative one, and dress code often varies by location, the outfit you choose to wear to your interview should demonstrate your respect for the opportunity. Did you happen to see any pictures of current salon or spa employees while doing your research? If so, those images can give you clues on how to dress. In general, it’s wise to avoid anything too tight, short or low-cut. If in doubt, ‘business casual’ is usually a safe option.

3. Do arrive on time. If you’re late to the interview, the salon or spa owner may assume you’ll be late to work as well. Not sure how long it will take you to drive there? Do a test run a day or two before the interview and plan your travel time accordingly. That said, you don’t want to arrive too early, either. If you get to the location more than 10 minutes before your interview is scheduled to begin, wait in your car to avoid making anyone feel rushed.

4. Do ask thoughtful questions. Yes, the interview is an opportunity for the salon or spa owner to learn more about you. But it’s also a chance for you to get details about the job that you couldn’t find online. Some of this information may even help you decide whether or not to take the job should you get an offer. Good questions to consider include:

• “What traits do your most successful employees share?”
• “How do you define success?”
• “How long do your employees work for you on average?”
• “Why did your last hairstylist/esthetician/nail tech leave the position?”
• “How would you describe a typical day in this role?”

5. Do follow up after your interview. To this day, nothing beats an old-fashioned, handwritten thank you note. Mail one as soon as possible, but don’t hesitate to follow up by email a day or two after your interview as well. Just thank the salon or spa owner for his/her time, reiterate the reasons you’d love to work there, and ask if there is any additional information you can provide to help with the hiring decision.

6. Don’t give in to nerves. Even if this is your very first salon or spa job, you need to project an aura of confidence if you want to make a good impression. Avoiding fidgeting (such as tapping your foot or twirling your hair) during the interview. Sit up straight, but don’t sit too stiffly. Keep your arms loose and relaxed rather than crossed. The right body language can go a long way towards convincing your interviewer of your professionalism.

7. Don’t forget to practice answers to difficult interview questions. To avoid rambling and keep your answers clear and succinct, it can be helpful to practice your responses in advance. Recruit a friend to help you polish your answers to common questions such as:

• “What can you tell me about yourself?”
• “Why should we hire you?”
• “Why did you leave your previous employer?”
• “What are your greatest strengths/ weaknesses?”
• “What are your goals for the next five years?”

You want your answers to show that you are honest, self-aware and passionate about the beauty industry. And you want to avoid distracting fillers such as “um,” “so,” “like” and “you know” in your responses.

8. Don’t speak poorly about previous employers or coworkers. It’s very likely that you’ll be asked why you left your last job, even if it wasn’t in the beauty industry. Even if you gave notice because every second of every day there was a nightmare of epic proportions, avoid saying this in your interview. You might also want to remove any negative comments of that sort from your public social media profiles, if you haven’t already done so.

9. Don’t ask about pay or benefits until you’ve been offered the job. Employers want beauty industry professionals who want to work at what they love, not just for a paycheck. You’ll have plenty of time to negotiate your wages and benefits after you’ve received an offer. In the meantime, however, it is acceptable to ask about the schedule and other logistics. After all, there’s no point in accepting a position with days or hours that ultimately won’t fit with your other commitments.

10. Don’t turn into a pest. Salon and spa owners are busy. Even if they’re eager to fill an available position, it can take awhile for them to make an employment decision. While reasonable follow up shows you’re proactive, professional and passionate about the opportunity, repeated phone calls and dozens of emails will cause nothing but annoyance. Remember: desperation is never attractive whether on a first date or during your job search.

It’s Model Call season!!! Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology will be hosting their second annual public model call! This year’s model call will be taking place between the hours of 5pm-7pm. Interested in participating? Please read the following guidelines.

1.) Models must be available from 5pm-7pm for an on-site consultation by our Sassoon professionals. A consultation is a requirement so our Sassoon professionals and educators can determine the texture, density, and history of your hair which will then determine the cut and/or color you will be receiving.
2.) We also need models with a flexible schedule. Demos will be taking place Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so depending on what service is being performed on you, that will determine which day we will need you back on site. You will be notified prior to the end of the model call which day we would like you to come back so you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
3.) We LOVE models who are open to change! Models who are selected to return will be receiving a complementary cut and/color that is specifically designed for them. Cuts and colors will be determined based off of face shape, facial features, skin tone, hair quality, etc. which means every look created will be uniquely designed for you!

Think you’re a great fit or know someone who is in need of a makeover? To reserve your spot or for more information about the model call, please contact our Director of Education, Candace Miller. We are in need of 6 more models so save your seat before it’s too late!

Please call 937-454-1200 and ask for Candace or you can reach her directly at cmiller@creativeimages.edu

Every year, Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology hosts their annual Networking and Recruiting Event where current artists, alumni, and local salons and spas come together to connect and mingle! This event gives our artists and alumni the opportunity to meet with local professionals face to face and get their name out there while also learning more about their potential employers.

Artists are also able to participate in a beauty show that takes place during the event. This allows artists to showcase their work and put their designs on display for industry professionals to judge. Prizes are awarded accordingly. Food and beverages will be served and there will also be a photo booth for our guests to participate in.

Stylist Survival Guide: Spring is FINALLY here! That means it’s time for us to bust out the tank tops and jean shorts and really start working on getting ready for that summer vacation. That also means that your chair is about to be filled with soon to be brides and local prom goers. For many new professionals, and even some salon veterans, this time of year can be unbelievably hectic and stressful. Between bridezillas coming in with their bridal back-up party trying to get ready for the big day and young teenagers doing some last minute running around before their senior prom with their entourage of classmates; things can get crazy!

On the upside, with effort comes reward. In order to prepare yourself mentally and physically during this spring season, follow these tips on how to tackle the obstacles that lie ahead.

Tip One: Get Organized Mentally and Physically.

The simplicity of organization is beautiful. Create a calendar and stick to it! Not only does it put your mind at ease knowing what is on your plate for the day, but it also allows you to plan accordingly and avoid any surprises. Knowing what clients you’re going to be helping and if you have any down time will allow you to be as productive as possible. If you just finished a client and you know you have a prom up-do for your next appointment, use whatever down time you have and get prepared! Get all of your supplies in order and lay out all of the tools you may be using. Not only will you save time for you and your client but you’re working more efficiently which will result in fewer mistakes.

Tip Two: Show Off Your Work

Though this time of year may be hectic, this time of year also allows for the most creativity! When it comes to special event hairstyles and makeup, most clients want something designed uniquely for them. Use this opportunity to express yourself and push your boundaries! Get a feel for what the client is looking for and incorporate that into your design. If you are relatively new to the industry, show the world what you got! Share all of your designs and masterpieces on your social media platforms and make sure you use your hashtags. With people now able to follow you through hashtags, this will help broaden your exposure and get your work out there for everyone to see! Make sure you provide your contact information either in your posts or in your bio so when people start to fall in love with your work, they can call to book an appointment with you!

Tip Three: Take Care of Yourself

With this season being mentally and physically exhausting, it’s important to replenish! Stylist Survival Guide Stock up on energy bars or quick, rejuvenating goodies that you can go to during your few minutes of down time. That way, in case you don’t have time for a full lunch break, you are still able to get the necessary nutrients to keep you rocking and on your feet. Make sure to drink plenty of water to keep your body and brain functioning at capacity. Even though most salons and spas have dress codes, make sure you’ve got the proper footwear and attire. On the days where you are booked open to close, you want to make sure you have on the shoes that won’t only get you through the day but will also keep you confident and comfortable. Also, don’t wear clothes that are too constricting or ill-fitting. You want to be focused on your client; not on how badly your feet hurt or how soon you can get home and change. Dress for success and you’ll come with the attitude to match because when you look good, you feel good!

Tip Four: Know Your Limits

Yes, we all want to make money and yes, most of us like a little bit of a challenge, but don’t over-exert yourself! If possible, make sure you have a little bit of time to yourself throughout your day; it’s good to take some mental and physical breathers every once in a while. Allow plenty of time for each client so you don’t find yourself rushing through services just to make sure you stay on time for your next appointment. Stylist Survival Guide Clients like to feel pampered and that they have your full attention. If you are rushing through a service, not cleaning your work station, or not holding genuine conversations, your clients will notice and that’s the last thing you want. Keep yourself busy but don’t keep yourself overwhelmed.

This time of year will be busy with all of the weddings and proms you come across, but that doesn’t mean it has to be stressful! Stylist Survival Guide This is an important time of year for your clients and you get to be a part of it! Don’t forget to just do a little prep work so you can reap the benefits and each spring season will be better than the last.